The strength of a country’s navy is not just how many warships a nation has, but its strength comes from the servicemen that operate these vessels. However, having a large force also implies spending a large amount to employ these servicemen and maintain the fleet. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is exploring the countries with the most navy personnel.
To determine the countries with the most navy personnel in the world, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2025 Military Strength Ranking from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. Global Firepower ranked 145 countries based on their PowerIndex, a composite of over 60 measures in categories such as military might, financials, logistical capability, and geography. The smaller the PowerIndex value the more powerful a nation’s theoretical conventional fighting capability is. We ranked these countries based on navy personnel. We also included supplemental information regarding personnel counts from other military branches, active personnel, total personnel, as well as the overall military strength score and defense budget.
Here is a look at the countries with the most navy personnel in the world:
Why Are We Covering This?
Understanding global military dynamics is incredibly important due to the interconnected nature of international relations and conflicts. As long as civilization has existed, the world has witnessed shifting power balances and alliances which have ultimately shaped the current geopolitical landscape. While key players like the United States, China, and Russia are considered the strongest military powers in the world, there are a number of other nations with their own spheres of influence and strengths that impact global relations from a military perspective.
30. Israel
- Total navy personnel: 19,500
- Total army personnel: 526,000
- Total air force personnel: 89,000
- Active military personnel: 170,000
- Reserve military personnel: 465,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 35,000
- Total military personnel: 670,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2661 – #15 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $30,500,000,000 – #17 out of 145
Israel’s navy personnel operate 62 total naval vessels, including 5 submarines, 7 corvettes, and 46 patrol vessels.
29. Australia
- Total navy personnel: 20,000
- Total army personnel: 50,000
- Total air force personnel: 20,000
- Active military personnel: 57,350
- Reserve military personnel: 32,050
- Paramilitary personnel: 0
- Total military personnel: 89,400
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.3298 – #18 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $55,700,000,000 – #8 out of 145
Australia’s navy personnel operate 44 total naval vessels, including 2 helicopter carriers, 6 submarines, 7 frigates, and 10 patrol vessels.
28. Spain
- Total navy personnel: 20,840
- Total army personnel: 75,825
- Total air force personnel: 23,000
- Active military personnel: 133,282
- Reserve military personnel: 15,150
- Paramilitary personnel: 78,470
- Total military personnel: 226,902
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.3242 – #17 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $23,397,000,000 – #22 out of 145
Spain’s navy personnel operate 152 total naval vessels, including 1 aircraft carrier, 2 submarines, 11 frigates, and 22 patrol vessels.
27. Chile
- Total navy personnel: 25,000
- Total army personnel: 80,000
- Total air force personnel: 12,000
- Active military personnel: 80,000
- Reserve military personnel: 40,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 50,000
- Total military personnel: 170,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.8361 – #47 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $5,032,500,000 – #48 out of 145
Chile’s navy personnel operate 130 total naval vessels, including 4 submarines, 8 frigates, and 40 patrol vessels.
26. Bangladesh
- Total navy personnel: 25,100
- Total army personnel: 160,000
- Total air force personnel: 17,400
- Active military personnel: 163,000
- Reserve military personnel: 0
- Paramilitary personnel: 6,800,000
- Total military personnel: 6,963,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.6062 – #35 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $4,374,000,000 – #56 out of 145
Bangladesh’s navy personnel operate 118 total naval vessels, including 2 submarines, 7 frigates, 6 corvettes, and 61 patrol vessels.
25. Venezuela
- Total navy personnel: 25,500
- Total army personnel: 115,000
- Total air force personnel: 20,000
- Active military personnel: 109,000
- Reserve military personnel: 8,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 220,000
- Total military personnel: 337,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.8882 – #50 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $4,093,120,000 – #57 out of 145
Venezuela’s navy personnel operate 34 total naval vessels, including 1 submarine, 1 frigate, and 25 patrol vessels.
24. Peru
- Total navy personnel: 25,990
- Total army personnel: 92,500
- Total air force personnel: 15,600
- Active military personnel: 120,000
- Reserve military personnel: 385,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 60,000
- Total military personnel: 565,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.8588 – #49 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $3,420,000,000 – #58 out of 145
Peru’s navy personnel operate 71 total naval vessels, including 4 submarines, 7 frigates, 8 corvettes, and 13 patrol vessels.
23. Greece
- Total navy personnel: 30,000
- Total army personnel: 200,000
- Total air force personnel: 42,500
- Active military personnel: 142,700
- Reserve military personnel: 221,350
- Paramilitary personnel: 55,000
- Total military personnel: 419,050
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.5337 – #30 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $6,500,000,000 – #44 out of 145
Greece’s navy personnel operate 192 total naval vessels, including 10 submarines, 13 frigates, and 39 patrol vessels.
22. Italy
- Total navy personnel: 31,000
- Total army personnel: 100,000
- Total air force personnel: 43,000
- Active military personnel: 165,500
- Reserve military personnel: 18,500
- Paramilitary personnel: 105,000
- Total military personnel: 289,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2164 – #10 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $30,890,000,000 – #16 out of 145
Italy’s navy personnel operate 196 total naval vessels, including 2 aircraft carriers, 8 submarines, 10 frigates, and 19 patrol vessels.
21. Egypt
- Total navy personnel: 32,500
- Total army personnel: 685,000
- Total air force personnel: 50,000
- Active military personnel: 440,000
- Reserve military personnel: 480,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 300,000
- Total military personnel: 1,220,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.3427 – #19 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $5,879,500,000 – #46 out of 145
Egypt’s navy personnel operate 150 total naval vessels, including 2 helicopter carriers, 8 submarines, 13 frigates, 7 corvettes, and 62 patrol vessels.
20. Colombia
- Total navy personnel: 35,100
- Total army personnel: 2,048,583
- Total air force personnel: 25,000
- Active military personnel: 293,200
- Reserve military personnel: 35,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 150,000
- Total military personnel: 478,200
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.8353 – #46 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $10,541,500,000 – #30 out of 145
Colombia’s navy personnel operate 233 total naval vessels, including 4 submarines, 7 frigates, 2 corvettes, and 217 patrol vessels.
19. United Kingdom
- Total navy personnel: 35,730
- Total army personnel: 106,626
- Total air force personnel: 34,790
- Active military personnel: 184,860
- Reserve military personnel: 924,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 0
- Total military personnel: 1,108,860
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1785 – #6 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $71,500,540,000 – #6 out of 145
The United Kingdom’s navy personnel operate 109 total naval vessels, including 2 aircraft carriers, 9 submarines, 8 frigates, and 26 patrol vessels.
18. Philippines
- Total navy personnel: 39,500
- Total army personnel: 201,250
- Total air force personnel: 33,600
- Active military personnel: 150,000
- Reserve military personnel: 1,200,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 35,000
- Total military personnel: 1,385,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.6987 – #41 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $4,380,000,000 – #55 out of 145
Philippines’s navy personnel operate 113 total naval vessels, including 2 frigates, 1 corvettes, and 58 patrol vessels.
17. Taiwan
- Total navy personnel: 40,000
- Total army personnel: 130,000
- Total air force personnel: 35,000
- Active military personnel: 215,000
- Reserve military personnel: 2,310,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 55,000
- Total military personnel: 2,580,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.3988 – #23 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $19,740,000,000 – #23 out of 145
Taiwan’s navy personnel operate 97 total naval vessels, including 4 submarines, 22 frigates, 7 corvettes, and 37 patrol vessels.
16. France
- Total navy personnel: 44,000
- Total army personnel: 141,600
- Total air force personnel: 40,500
- Active military personnel: 200,000
- Reserve military personnel: 26,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 150,000
- Total military personnel: 376,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1878 – #8 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $55,000,000,000 – #9 out of 145
France’s navy personnel operate 129 total naval vessels, including 1 aircraft carrier, 3 helicopter carriers, 9 submarines, 11 frigates, and 20 patrol vessels.
15. Sri Lanka
- Total navy personnel: 48,000
- Total army personnel: 200,785
- Total air force personnel: 27,000
- Active military personnel: 346,000
- Reserve military personnel: 90,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 0
- Total military personnel: 436,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.3941 – #69 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $1,265,400,000 – #82 out of 145
Sri Lanka’s navy personnel operate 270 total naval vessels, including 5 frigates and 59 patrol vessels.
14. Vietnam
- Total navy personnel: 50,000
- Total army personnel: 300,000
- Total air force personnel: 35,000
- Active military personnel: 600,000
- Reserve military personnel: 5,000,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 250,000
- Total military personnel: 5,850,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.4024 – #24 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $8,594,000,000 – #35 out of 145
Vietnam’s navy personnel operate 110 total naval vessels, including 9 submarines, 9 frigates, 16 corvettes, and 35 patrol vessels.
13. Japan
- Total navy personnel: 50,800
- Total army personnel: 196,700
- Total air force personnel: 50,000
- Active military personnel: 247,150
- Reserve military personnel: 56,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 25,000
- Total military personnel: 328,150
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1839 – #7 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $57,000,000,000 – #7 out of 145
Japan’s navy personnel operate 159 total naval vessels, including 4 helicopter carriers, 24 submarines, 6 frigates, and 6 patrol vessels.
12. North Korea
- Total navy personnel: 60,000
- Total army personnel: 1,370,000
- Total air force personnel: 110,000
- Active military personnel: 1,320,000
- Reserve military personnel: 560,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 100,000
- Total military personnel: 1,980,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.6016 – #34 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $4,736,000,000 – #51 out of 145
North Korea’s navy personnel operate 207 total naval vessels, including 13 submarines, 2 frigates, 4 corvettes, and 155 patrol vessels.
11. Indonesia
- Total navy personnel: 66,034
- Total army personnel: 300,400
- Total air force personnel: 30,100
- Active military personnel: 400,000
- Reserve military personnel: 400,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 250,000
- Total military personnel: 1,050,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2557 – #13 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $10,600,000,000 – #29 out of 145
Indonesia’s navy personnel operate 331 total naval vessels, including 4 submarines, 7 frigates, 25 corvettes, and 211 patrol vessels.
10. South Korea
- Total navy personnel: 70,000
- Total army personnel: 365,000
- Total air force personnel: 65,000
- Active military personnel: 600,000
- Reserve military personnel: 3,100,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 120,000
- Total military personnel: 3,820,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1656 – #5 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $46,300,000,000 – #14 out of 145
South Korea’s navy personnel operate 227 total naval vessels, including 2 helicopter carriers, 22 submarines, 17 frigates, 5 corvettes, and 35 patrol vessels.
9. Brazil
- Total navy personnel: 80,500
- Total army personnel: 1,554,000
- Total air force personnel: 81,000
- Active military personnel: 360,000
- Reserve military personnel: 340,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 200,000
- Total military personnel: 900,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2415 – #11 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $26,157,300,000 – #19 out of 145
Brazil’s navy personnel operate 64 total naval vessels, including 1 helicopter carrier, 4 submarines, 6 frigates, 2 corvettes, and 23 patrol vessels.
8. Thailand
- Total navy personnel: 84,000
- Total army personnel: 457,300
- Total air force personnel: 46,000
- Active military personnel: 360,850
- Reserve military personnel: 200,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 25,000
- Total military personnel: 585,850
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.4536 – #26 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $5,887,883,500 – #45 out of 145
Thailand’s navy personnel operate 293 total naval vessels, including 1 helicopter carrier, 7 frigates, 6 corvettes, and 49 patrol vessels.
7. Mexico
- Total navy personnel: 87,555
- Total army personnel: 261,755
- Total air force personnel: 30,515
- Active military personnel: 412,000
- Reserve military personnel: 98,655
- Paramilitary personnel: 120,000
- Total military personnel: 630,655
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.5965 – #32 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $7,600,000,000 – #39 out of 145
Mexico’s navy personnel operate 167 total naval vessels, including 1 frigate, 3 corvettes, and 140 patrol vessels.
6. Turkey
- Total navy personnel: 100,000
- Total army personnel: 518,900
- Total air force personnel: 115,000
- Active military personnel: 355,200
- Reserve military personnel: 378,700
- Paramilitary personnel: 150,000
- Total military personnel: 883,900
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1902 – #9 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $47,000,000,000 – #13 out of 145
Turkey’s navy personnel operate 182 total naval vessels, including 1 helicopter carrier, 13 submarines, 17 frigates, 9 corvettes, and 41 patrol vessels.
5. Pakistan
- Total navy personnel: 124,800
- Total army personnel: 1,311,500
- Total air force personnel: 78,128
- Active military personnel: 654,000
- Reserve military personnel: 550,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 500,000
- Total military personnel: 1,704,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2513 – #12 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $7,640,000,000 – #38 out of 145
Pakistan’s navy personnel operate 121 total naval vessels, including 8 submarines, 9 frigates, 9 corvettes, and 69 patrol vessels.
4. India
- Total navy personnel: 142,252
- Total army personnel: 2,197,117
- Total air force personnel: 310,575
- Active military personnel: 1,455,550
- Reserve military personnel: 1,155,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 2,527,000
- Total military personnel: 5,137,550
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1184 – #4 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $75,000,000,000 – #4 out of 145
India’s navy personnel operate 293 total naval vessels, including 2 aircraft carriers, 18 submarines, 14 frigates, 18 corvettes, and 135 patrol vessels.
3. Russia
- Total navy personnel: 160,000
- Total army personnel: 550,000
- Total air force personnel: 165,000
- Active military personnel: 1,320,000
- Reserve military personnel: 2,000,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 250,000
- Total military personnel: 3,570,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.0788 – #2 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $126,000,000,000 – #3 out of 145
Russia’s navy personnel operate 419 total naval vessels, including 1 aircraft carrier, 63 submarines, 12 frigates, 83 corvettes, and 123 patrol vessels.
2. China
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- Total navy personnel: 380,000
- Total army personnel: 2,545,000
- Total air force personnel: 400,000
- Active military personnel: 2,035,000
- Reserve military personnel: 510,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 625,000
- Total military personnel: 3,170,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.0788 – #3 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $266,850,000,000 – #2 out of 145
China’s navy personnel operate 754 total naval vessels, including 3 aircraft carriers, 4 helicopter carriers, 61 submarines, 47 frigates, 72 corvettes, and 150 patrol vessels.
1. United States
- Total navy personnel: 667,108
- Total army personnel: 1,403,200
- Total air force personnel: 701,319
- Active military personnel: 1,328,000
- Reserve military personnel: 799,500
- Paramilitary personnel: 0
- Total military personnel: 2,127,500
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.0744 – #1 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $895,000,000,000 – #1 out of 145
Navy personnel for the United States operate 440 total naval vessels, including 11 aircraft carriers, 9 helicopter carriers, 70 submarines, 26 corvettes, and 81 destroyers.
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